A healthier take on Thanksgiving

Pinners may be trying to eat healthier these days, but that doesn’t mean they’re quitting comfort food cold turkey. They’re still craving richly satisfying foods and save 50m comfort food Pins every single day. However, we’ve noticed a shift in how Pinners think about “comfort food.” As we shared in a recent article with Food and Business News, Pinners are hungry for lightened-up, healthier takes on traditionally indulgent dishes. Think cauliflower rice, butternut squash fries and “zoodles” (also known as zucchini noodles).

As our Thanksgiving search traffic picks up, we’re seeing the same trends carry over to holiday meal planning. Pinners want to serve up classics like mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, but they’re searching for healthier twists, too. Last fall Pinners saved 9,000 “healthy Thanksgiving” Pins per day and that search term is already up 233% this fall.

Clearly, Pinners don’t have to squash their cravings to plan the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Here are a few ways Pinners are coming up with menus big on taste, but a tad lighter on calories. As you plan your Thanksgiving marketing, make sure to work some healthier food ideas into your holiday Pins.

“Vegan Thanksgiving” Pins are up 192% year-over-year, and we think some of that traffic comes from Pinners who simply want to eat a little healthier. Pins that swap out butter for lighter ingredients are gaining momentum. We’re seeing traffic climb for recipes that use coconut oil, olive oil and Greek yogurt. Some of the most popular vegan Pins so far: these vegan paleo pecan pie bars, this skinny corn casserole and this vegan green bean casserole.

To take full advantage of the Thanksgiving opportunity, make sure to share Pins that play off of some of these trends. Check out our new creative guide for tips on making great Pins. Once you’ve set up your Thanksgiving advertising campaigns on Pinterest, keep an eye on your analytics to see what’s performing best. Promoting your high-performing Pins will help you reach even more Pinners as they dream up the perfect Thanksgiving menu.